Intro
An abstract data type (ADT) is a theoretical model that describes a datatype’s behavior (operations) without specifying its implementation.
ADTs define:
- A set of values
- A set of operations
- The behavioral rules of those operations
- Only the essentials are exposed, omitting implementation details (Abstraction).
- Data and its related operations are bundled into a single unit (Encapsulation).
- You can change the underlying implementation (e.g., from an Array to a Linked List) without affecting how the rest of the program uses the ADT (Data Independence)
Abstraction
https://algs4.cs.princeton.edu/12oop/
ADTs provide:
- Abstraction — only essential operations are exposed
- Encapsulation — data and operations are bundled conceptually
- Data Independence — implementations can change without affecting usage
Data Structures
A Data Structure is a concrete implementation of an ADT. It defines how data is organized, stored, and accessed, and determines the efficiency of operations like insertion, deletion, and lookup.